Theater chair



C. RIEGER THEATERCHAIR oct; 14, 1941.

Filed Aug. 8, 1938 2 sheets-sheet 1 INVEgvmR. V75/A95 /Q/@ger' BY @e mATTORNEYl C. RIEGER THEATER CHAIR Oct. 14, 1941.

Filed Aug. 8, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3 M I U A ,D U n/v .Ll X 0/0 w @d 1-MW @6% ab f w Hl b H; m

INVENTOR.

(bar/@5 BY@ Z Patented Got. 14, 1941 THEATER CHAR "Charleslltiegen SanFranciscmCalif. -Applioationlugust 8, 1938, Serial No. 223,569

This invention relates generally to chair constructions of the typesuitable for'installa'tion in Atheaters or auditoriums, wherethe chairsVare arranged in regularrows.

It is 1an object of the invention to provide a chair construction 'of'theiabove character `which will leave the Aspace beneath a group of'chair units substantially'unobstructed.

'A further object *of the invention "is to provide a Vtheater chairconstruction in which the individual chair units can be .morerjeadilyassemled together vto form Ja :group of chairs, -'and which will aordutmost structural .strength whenassembl'ed vAnother objectof theinvention lis'fto Aprovide'a theater .chair construction which can .be.manufactured substantially entirely from sheet metal, to afford .avrelatively `'fireproof and rugged construction.

Additional vobjects .and 'features 'of the invention will appear from:the following description in `which 4ithe preferred vembodiment yof theinventon. has been set vforth in detail Vin conjunction with theaccompanying-drawings.

Referring tothe drawings:

Fig. 1 is a .'front elevational Lview, illustrating 'onepart of a kgroupof chairs, constructed inaccordance with 'thelpres'ent invention.

'Fig. 2 isia side viewslooking towards the-group ofchairs, asillustrated in'Fig. '1.

`Fig. 3 risa cross-Sectional -view taken-along the line '3 3 oflig.v V1.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional ldetail ftakenalon'g the1ine`44 of -Fig.l.

Allig. '5 is an expanded'or vrexploded view, illus- 'tratin'g.theimann'er in which -the parts are assembled.

Fig. 6`is 'across-sectional viewta-ken along the line S-Sof-l'ig 1.

Myinvention consists generally of a plurality `o'f chair units,'.havingnovel structural features,

and which are adapted-to'beassembled toi-'form a group ofv chairs. Inplaceof having `supporting legs or 'feet extending downwardly4between-'each chairun't, a's-'is 'common with theater chairs, my

construction dispenses with intermediate supporting legs or feet, andthe entire group of chairs is supported by feet extending downwardlyfrom theends-of the group. ThusV the space beneaththe chair units isentirely unobstructed.

-In order to aiTord the desired structural strength a structural elementis provided extendingvhorielement is sectionalized in such-a manner asto Afacilitate assembly and detachment'of the parts.

Referring :to the form of the invention vrdis- `closed in the drawings,eachof `the seat units includesa body part IIJ, preferably A`formed ofsheet metal. While 'the 4precise detailsmay vary, I prefer that onepiece o'fsheet metal b'e Abent to form the Aback .portion 'Illa of theseat, and also what can be termed the seat supportingportion wb. At-theupperedge of the back portion Ina, the sheet metalispreferablyrolle'dfupon itself `Sto form a tubular portion II. To vform the `sea-rsupport I'Ilb the body part Avcan `be 'provide-d with right-angle bends,l2 Aand I3, to form the inter- 'vening bottom wall I4, Aand the`'upstanding "forward Wall I G. `It is-pre'f'erable to also roll'tlfie-tip-- per edge: of `wall I6, 'to form in eiectia tube Il.

The side'edges of the bodyparts 'Ill fare v'shown `provided with flangesI8, which-are apertured, 'and whichffacilitate VVVmaking' attachmentbetween the chair units.

Interposed between the sheet kmetal body 'parts Ill, are the members I9,which are -alsocprefera- Vbly formed-of sheetmetal. 'Ihese members canr'be contoured Ysomewhat as'illustrate'd in iFigf,

with a forward projecting portion I9actoform`an arm support, `and with:an upwardly `extending fporti'on IS'b which is adapted `Ato'beinterposed 'be'- :tween Vthe anges "I8 vof adjacent body portions. Theupper end portions |90, ofmem'ber's 19,' can vbe 'enlarged andyapertured to receive "the studs 2|. `'I'hese studs can .be short`tubes'c` 1"pipes,fand fcan be permanently attached to portions "|950,Vas

by means of welding. The diameterrof studs -2'I is such that these studscan snugly interlit'zwith the tubular portions I'I 'ofthe'b'odyparts'fIIB. .The :lower ends of eachy member -I9 are also Ishown apertured toaccommodate the studs 2-2, which fc'an be similar to studs 2'I ,andwhich are propor- "tionied 'to snugly intert with gthe 'tubular tions|11 of the bodyfparts.

por-

:At the ends 'of agroup, members ZS-are provided` (Fig. 2) which arecontouredsimilarly Vto the intervening members liL-except that insteadyof Vstopping short at the level of the bottom wall I4 of the body-part,they extend .downwardly to form thel feet 2l. Also thestuds2`8-and 2'9, at-

tached to the end members`26, extend from only `these rods maybecarriedv by thefspecialplates "34, which are mounted within tbe :seatSupports lDb. In order to limit downward swinging movement the rear edgeof each seat is shown provided with a rod 36, the ends of which operatewithin arcuate slots 3l formed in the plate 34.

It will be evident that the parts of the chair units described above canbe upholstered in any suitable way. Thus conventional cushions 38 and 39are shown mounted upon the back portions lila and upon the seat 3|, andalso upholstered arm rests 4G are shown carried by the interveningmembers I9, and the end members 2B.

Assembly of the various parts described above, can be outlined asfollows: One selects the nir-'nber of units desired in a group, and thenthe parts of these units are assembled together, substantially asillustrated in Fig. 5. Thus starting with one of the end members 2S, thestuds 28 and 29 of this end member are telescoped with the tubularportions Il and l1 of the first Abody part I0. Then an intermediatemember i9 can be applied by telescoping its studs 2l and 22 with thetubular portions I and l1. After the selected number of chair units havethus been oonsecutively'assembled in this fashion, bolts can be appliedto clamp together the various fianges I8, thus forming the assembly intoa rigid structure. W'hen thus assembled the tubular portions H togetherVwith the studs 2l and 2B, form in effect a sectionalized structuralelement extending across and attached to the upper edges of the chairunits, and'serving to resist downward forces which may be applied to thesame. Also the YVtubular portions l'l together with studs 22 and 29,formY a sectionalized structural element attached to the lower portionof the chair units -and likewise serving to resist downward forces.

With reference to either Figs. 3 or 6 it will be noted that thesesectionalized structural elements Vare so connected by the sheet metalparts of the chair unita'that in effect a composite structural beam isformed, of great strength, and capable of resisting all reasonablestresses to which the assembly may be subjected.

After having formed a given assembly of chair units, as described above,it is' a relatively simple matter to increase or decrease the number ofchair units in a group. Also by suitably modifying the shaping of thebody parts, and the connecting studs, the'units can be assembled to forma curved row as is sometimes desired in theaters or auditoriums.

I claim:

1. In a chair construction, a plurality of chair units removablyattached together in side-by-side relationship to form a group ofchairs, a supporting foot'at each end of the group, the space betweensaid feet being unobstructed, each chair unit including a body partformed of sheet metal Ato Vafford a chair backl and a seat support,there side relationship to form a group of chairs, supporting feet forsaid group of chairs, each chair unit including a body part formed ofsheet metal bent to ai'ord a chair back and a seat support, the seatsupport being box-like in form and affording a forward upstanding wall,and a seat hinged to said seat support.

3. In a chair construction, a plurality of chair units disposed inside-by-side relationship and attached together by telescopic engagementto form a group of chairs, supporting feet for said group of chairs,each chair unit including a body part formed of sheet metal bent toafford a chair back and a seat support, the seat support being boX-likein form and affording a forward upstanding Wall, and a seat on said seatsupport.

4. In a chair construction, a plurality of separable chair unitsremovably attached together in sidebyside relationship to form a groupof chairs, a supporting foot at each end of the group, the spaceintervening between said feet being substantially unobstructed, and asectionalized support structure providing a structural beam extendingbetween the ends of said group and serving to support the chair unitsagainst downward forces and serving to transmit all such downward forcesto said feet, said support structure including portions of said chairunits.

5. In a chair construction, a plurality of separable chair unitsremovably attached together in side-by-side relationship to form a groupof chairs, a supporting foot at each end of the group,

the space intervening between said feet being substantiallyunobstructed, and a sectionalized support structure' providing astructural beam extending between the ends cf said group and serving tosupport the chair units against downward forces and serving to transmitall such downward forces to said feet, said support structure beingcomposed of separable telescopically engaged sections formed in part byportions of said chair units.

6. In a chair construction, a plurality of separable chair unitsremovably attached together in side-by-side relationship to form a groupof chairs, a supporting foot at each end of the group, the spaceintervening between said feet being substantially unobstructed, eachchair unit including an individual body part formed to afford a chairback and a seat support, said body parts being interchangeable as toposition in said group, and a sectionalized support structure providinga structural beam extending between the ends of said group and servingto support the chair units against downward forces and serving totransmit all such downward forces to said feet, said support structureincluding portions of said chair units.

7. In a chair construction, a plurality of separable chair unitsremovably attached together in side-by-side relationship to form a groupof chairs, a supporting foot at each end of the group, the spaceintervening between said feet being substantially unobstructed, eachchair unit including an individual body part formed to `aiord a chairback and a seat support, said body parts being interchangeable as toposition in said group, and a pair of sectionalized support structuresproviding respective structural beams extending between the ends of saidgroup and serv- `ing to support the chair units against downward forcesand serving to transmit all such downward forces to isaid feet, each ofsaid support structures including portions of said chair units rolledVto tubular form and other tubular support members telescopicallyengaged with said rolled portions.

8. In a chair construction, a plurality of separable chair unitsremovably attached together in side-by-side relationship to form a groupof chairs, a supporting foot at each end of the group, the spaceintervening between said feet being substantially unobstructed, eachchair unit including an individual body part formed to aiord a chairback and a seat support, said body parts being interchangeable as toposition in said group, there being intervening members between saidbody parts, said intervening members being similar and interchangeable,and a sectionalized structural support extending between the ends ofsaid group and serving to support the chair units against downwardforces and to transmit all such downward forces to said feet, saidsupport being composed of separable sections formed in part by portionsof said chair units.

9. In a chair construction, a yplurality of separable chair unitsremovably attached together in side-by-side relationship to form a groupof chairs, a supporting foot at each end of the group, the spaceintervening between said feet being substantially unobstructed, eachchair unit including an individual body part formed to aiiord a chairback and a seat support, said body parts being interchangeable as toposition in said group, there being intervening members between saidbody parts, said intervening members being similar and interchangeable,and a sectionalized structural support extending between the ends ofsaid group and serving to support the chair units against downwardforces and to transmit all such downward forces to said feet, saidsupport being composed of separable sections formed in part by tubularportions of said chair units and formed in part by tubular supportmembers extending to both sides of said intervening members andtelescopically engaged with said tubular portions.

CHARLES RIEGER.

